Detectives Pond and Oswald
by lauraforthewinoswald
Summary: Rough around the edges D.I. Amelia Pond gets a new job at the police offices at Broadchurch and rubs the sweet small town Clara Oswald the wrong way. Along with the town's local vicar, who Pond suspects is hiding something about the death of a local boy.
1. How Many Murders Have You Worked On?

Detective Inspector Amelia Pond walked down the beach towards the small body lying in the sand. "Don't do this to me again." She prayed under her breath. She turned to see a woman running towards the scene. "This area is off limits!" She blocked her off.

"I'm police!" D.S. Oswald displayed her badge. Her eyes widened at the sight of the body. "I know him. He's my boy's best friend. God, Beth! Does beth know?"

"Calm down D.S. Oswald." Pond took hold of Clara's hands.

"You don't understand! I know that boy!" Oswald couldn't hold back her tears any longer.

"Shut it off and be a professional!" Amelia yelled. "You're working a case now!"

"Shut it off?!" Clara took a step back away from Pond's reach as if disgusted by her cold and clinical attitude.

"Amelia Pond" She extended her hand towards her colleague.

"I know who you are. You took my job." Clara replied.

"Oh, are we really going to do this now?" Amelia Pond looked Clara up and down with her hand on her hips.

"You don't even know who he is!" Clara gasped for breath through tears.

"Then tell me!" Amelia had zero patience for her new partner's emotional sensitivity.

"Daniel Latimer, age 11. He goes to school with my son, Tom." Clara wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Amelia looked up at the cliff face in front of them. "Is this a suicide spot?"

"He wouldn't do that." Clara replied.

"Just answer the question!" Amelia shot back.

"No." Clara whispered angrily. She'd not only lost the job she'd wanted but it had been given to the most heartless woman she'd ever had the displeasure to meet.

Pond had a harsh tongue as fiery as her red hair. But there was no discernible warmth about her whatsoever, she was a stone-cold pragmatist. She was beautiful but untouchable, like a wild rose covered in thorns.

Clara was soft. She believed in kindness and the goodness of people. Even as much as D.I. Pond had angered her by her coldness, she wished to get closer to her. There had to be something good inside her. At the same time, Clara wished she could prove herself. Amelia Pond was chosen for the job she'd been asking for. She just swooped in and took the job, she wasn't even from Broadchurch.

"I know the people here. I know how to talk to them." Clara spoke as they drove towards the Latimer house to deliver the terrible news.

"How many murders have you worked on?" Pond gave Oswald a harsh glare.

"This is my first." Clara looked down at the ground as she spoke.

"Let me handle this... and don't look at me like that." Pond snapped when she noticed Clara's big brown eyes glaring back at her.

To Clara's surprise, Pond spoke to the family with a bit more sensitivity than she had expected. There was a heart in there after all. It was obvious that Pond was there to help but she wasn't there to be friends with any of them. Clara could hardly control her tears as she quietly shook her head yes to confirm to the boy's mother what they'd seen.

Beth Latimer was a young mother, like Clara. Beth had both her children before she turned 20. She was petite and pretty in a simple sort of way. Her painful sobs at the news of her young boy's death hit Clara too hard for her to conceal her grief. She couldn't just shut it off like Pond did but she believed it was her connection to the people that made her the right detective for the case.

Clara stayed behind with Beth while D.I. Pond led the boy's father to the station to I.D. the body. "I'm so sorry, Beth." She took the grieving mother's hand in hers. "I know there's nothing I could ever say or do to make this better or easier for you."

"Just catch the bloody bastard who did this to my little boy." Beth whispered angrily.

Clara wrapped her neighbor in a big warm hug. "I promise."

The detectives headed back to the top of the cliffs above where the body was found to discuss SOCO's findings. "It looks like the rockfall around the body was faked." Brian explained. "The angle of the body's all wrong, too well arranged. Someone tried to make it look like an accident."

The death was obviously a murder and not an accident after the coroner's information came in. Danny had been strangled by a man and he was facing his attacker when it happened. There didn't seem to be any other thing on the boy's body besides a small cut on his hand. They feared sexual violence but there wasn't any indication of it. Even still, parents worried a mad predator was on the loose. And in a small town of 15,000 that would very well be the friendly neighbor next door. There was a palpable sense of paranoia in the air but Pond and Oswald were on the case.

Clara wished to better connect with her new boss and decided to start the next day at work on the right foot by offering Pond a fresh cup of coffee.

"I don't drink coffee." Amy passed right by Clara, hardly acknowledging her.

Clara tried her best to hide the heartbreak but she couldn't help but get down on herself. She was everyone's friend in the office. She was bright and cheery and everyone seemed to love her. Deep down there was always a fear that no one did, so she always overcompensated. She ran around aiming to please everyone at all times. Her bubbly personality masking a rigid control freak.

"Oswald! In my office" D.I. Pond called out. "Alright, Oswald. I walked Danny's paper round and there's a hut on Brier Cliff about half a mile from where Danny's body was found. Find out who owns it and get the CCTV from the camera there." Amy gave Clara a look for a moment. "What are you doing? Go!" She shooed a doe-eyed D.S. Oswald away from her office.


	2. The Right Fit

With the CCTV footage downloading, D.I. Pond poured over the questions of the case with D.S. Oswald. "Danny's stakeboard and mobile are still missing, that's top priority. Also, main suspects, you know the town so who's the most likely? The boy was killed before he was left on the beach so where's our murder scene?"

Clara could feel the pressure of her unanswerable questions mounting. "Jack who runs the paper round said he saw the postman fighting with Danny once. That could be something."

"Good." Amy walked away and left Clara standing somewhat dumbfounded before she ran after her.

They later questioned the postman but he said he never recalled any argument. "What would I be arguing with a paper lad about? You don't think I had anything to do with it.."

"It's just to rule things out. Nothing to worry about." Clara smiled and said their goodbyes.

"Don't do that. 'Nothing to worry about.' " Pond frowned as they reached their car. "Don't reassure them, let them talk."

"Excuse me..." Clara finally began to crack. "You can't just come up here and try to mold me. I know what I'm doing and I know how to handle people and you can keep your broody bullshit shtick to yourself."

Amelia Pond seemed completely unfazed by her colleague's outburst and kept walking. Which infuriated Clara all the more. Oswald couldn't do anything to get on Pond's good side as hard as she tried. Clara required positive affirmation and Pond was giving her nothing. She wished to get Amelia's attention more than anything. She knocked on Pond's office door with some trepidation the next morning with chips to share. "Postman's alibi checks out. He was with his mates all Thursday night. But Jack said he'd seen them fight."

"Does Jack Marshall have any reason to lie to us?" Pond asked the question but continued to speak before Clara could answer. "Have you looked at the list of suspects the family gave you?"

"It's depressing. It's got all their friends and neighbors on it." Clara's face was melancholy as she scarfed down a handful of chips. "They're not thinking straight." She spoke with her mouth half full.

"They're smart." Pond hadn't touched the bag of chips Clara had bought her. "Perhaps they're trying to redirect our attention away from their own household."

"They didn't kill Danny." Clara was surprised by the accusation.

"You need to learn not to trust. If you can't look at things objectively you're not the right fit." Pond slowly put one chip in her mouth with a look of disgust in her face.

"No, it's you who isn't the right fit!" Clara lost her cool again. "You swoop in here stealing jobs from people and you can't accept a cup of coffee or a bag of chips without a great big sigh! ... Sorry, ma'am." Oswald sat back down and quietly ate her chips.

Same as before, Pond was unfazed by Oswald's outburst but her tone and demeanor did soften a bit. "You have to understand, Oswald. Anyone's capable of murder under the right circumstances but murder gnarls at the soul. The killer will reveal themselves sooner or later. I'm going to a service at the church on the hill. Danny's family goes there and I'm sure they'll be discussing his death at the service. I'll bet Danny's killer will show up, either to clear his conscience or to quietly gloat." Pond put on her coat and left for the church.

There was hardly 20 people at the Sunday service, a rather small crowd. The vicar wasn't what Pond had expected. He was a young man who seemed fresh out of seminary school but she herself was a bit young for her status. She was a Detective Inspector in charge of an entire murder investigation and she'd only just turned 30. And this wasn't her first time being in charge. She worked hard for what she'd accomplished and she didn't get where she was by being soft, no matter how much Clara tried.

"I know we're all struggling to understand what's happened in the last few days." The young reverend took a deep breath. "It's times like these that we question our faith. Why would a benevolent god allow this to happen?" He raised a powerful question and didn't give a clear answer either.

Pond was intrigued by the way he spoke. He was unafraid of pointing out the flaws in his own faith in a very candid manner. She stayed behind to see everyone as they walked out. Danny's grandmother was the only member of the family in attendance and she stayed behind to speak with the Vicar. She watched from afar how they spoke, they seemed close. How close was he to Danny? Amy wasn't like Clara, Pond knew there was a dark side to all people.

"Excuse me.." Pond approached Rev. Coates after Danny's grandmother had left. "I'm Amelia Pond, I'm investigating the recent tragedy. You're close to the Latimers, are you?"

"His grandmother mostly, sometimes Beth and Mark would stop by with the kids but not always." Paul replied. "I spoke with Beth just yesterday actually, poor thing's a wreck."

"Did she come to you for help?" Amy asked.

"No, she was just crying in the car park all alone and I went to her to make sure she was alright. I told her she could talk to me if she ever needed it. I just wish there were something more I could do." Paul looked up to the heavens. "I've tried everything. You saw how empty it was in here today. I've been here about 2 years now but I still feel like an outsider really."

"How do you like it here? I only just moved here myself a few weeks ago." Amelia attempted chit chat. "I personally don't think I fit in much either."

"I like it here, it's quiet. Peaceful... until all this." Paul looked down at his feet. "Am I allowed to ask how the investigation's going? Have you any idea who could have done this?"

"Whoever they are, I know they aren't far." Amelia smiled. "The truth will expose itself. Let it simmer long enough and the man responsible won't be able to stand the heat any longer."


	3. The Reverend

"Oswald!" Pond yelled from across the office. Clara had grown accustomed to Pond's yelling although there was a perfectly good intercom on her desk. Clara walked in and Pond continued. "It's the CCTV from the car park, it's Mark Latimer."

"What's he doing? He said he was out working." Clara looked surprised. The video suddenly stopped. "What happened?"

"The recording stops after that." Pond rolled her eyes at the terrible job the department had done in keeping the cameras operational. "So now we have to find out why Mark Latimer lied to us." Amy stood and began to put on her coat when she noticed the TV was on the news and Rev. Paul Coates was on the screen.

"We're a strong community and I hope the people know that the church is here to offer whatever support they need in the coming days.." The Reverend spoke.

"Can you believe this guy?" Pond scoffed. "Trying to squeeze his 15 minutes of fame out of all this."

Clara scoffed back. "Is it honestly so impossible to believe that he is genuinely concerned for the Latimer family?"

"You know what happens after a big murder like this gets out?" D.I. Pond explained. "Groupies, people who want to touch the case. People who want to be a part of the story, for better or worse. He's just the first." She began walking out of the office. "I'm going to church!"

"Ask the reverend if he knows any good exorcists since you're obviously possessed by some kind of soul sucking demon." Clara scoffed after Pond walked out the door. "Why couldn't I have said that to her face? I'm always funny when no one's looking." She rolled her eyes and went to the break room for tea.

Pond had planned to give the vicar a good talking to about how disgraceful it was to try and use the media frenzy on the murder to advertise for his church. But it seemed Mark was already there in full force.

"Your god left our son for dead!" Mark had Paul up against the wall with his fists grabbing at his collar.

"Hands off, Latimer!" Pond ordered as she ran towards them. Mark put his hand up and walked away slowly. Amelia ordered Mark to go home and he quietly obeyed. She looked Paul over. "Are you alright? I think if I hadn't shown up he might have punched you right in the face."

"I'm fine." Paul caught his breath. "He thought I was using him for publicity... I just wanted to help."

"I have to agree with Mark on this one." Pond crossed her arms.

"What?" Paul looked genuinely hurt by the accusation. "I was placed here to help this community and they need help now more than ever."

Pond looked at him, trying to decipher him. He was hiding something and she could feel it. She looked into his eyes and she couldn't find any evidence that he'd been lying. He was so convincing that she found herself falling for it. Maybe Clara was right, Pond was too cold to understand a genuinely kind person. She wasn't about to admit she was wrong and she sure as hell wasn't going to fall for Paul's innocent act. "I don't want you starting any more brawling, is that clear?" She found herself straightening his collar.

The Reverend chuckled. "I promise. I didn't even attempt to fight back. Do you think I should have fought back? I thought I shouldn't because I know he's grieving so much right now. He wasn't so much angry at me, he was angry at God. He was just looking for someone to take it out on."

"And you were going to just let him take it out on you?" Pond raised an eyebrow as Paul just casually shrugged his shoulders before she continued her line of questioning. "Wouldn't you be angry too? If someone took your child you wouldn't be angry at God?"

The Reverend spoke with a defeated sigh. "I really can't answer that. I can't imagine what they're going through." He looked at D.I. Pond, something in him detecting a twinge of personal bitterness behind her question. "Have you got any children?"

Pond didn't answer. She continued to speak as if he'd never asked. "Just stay out of the spotlight, alright." Pond quickly walked away back to her car. She was afraid to realize that she'd found the young reverend a bit charming. She cleared the thought from her mind and drove back to the Latimer house. She had to figure out what Mark was up to. She already knew we was lying about his whereabouts on the night of his son's death and now she'd witnessed a violent outburst from him. He was growing more and more suspicious by the minute.

The Latimers were sitting in the living room watching TV in silence when Pond walked in. There was a sense of tension in the air so thick it was almost difficult for Amelia to get her words out. "Can I speak with Mark, please? Outside, alone."

The wind was picking up as they went out the back porch. The air was growing cool and crisp as fall came fast approaching. More bracing than the wind, was D.I. Pond's quick and direct questions. "Thursday night when Danny went missing, where were you? You said you were out working on call but there was no call. We have CCTV footage of the car park on Briar Cliff."

"So you're snooping on me now?" Mark sounded defensive.

"What were you doing out there, Mark?" Amy glared.

"Am I a suspect now?" Mark's voice was growing worried but he was growing angry as well.

"If you just tell me what you were doing and who you were with I can eliminate you from suspicion. It's completely methodical. If you do not give me all the facts then I cannot eliminate you, making you a person of interest." Amelia spoke dryly as she wrote in her notebook.

"A suspect in the murder of my own son?" Mark's voice was low and grumbling.

D.I. Pond spoke flatly without hardly glancing up from her notes. "So I've made it quite clear for you then."


End file.
